


Milk

by SakuraHaruno



Series: The Theory of You and Me [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Crossover, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, One Shot, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 21:30:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18039404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakuraHaruno/pseuds/SakuraHaruno
Summary: A weird thought had crossed his mind about Alphonse. For the first time, Edward almost considered him a rival.





	Milk

**Author's Note:**

> Series of one-shots, drabbles, AU scenarios of Edward and Sakura.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist. All characters and settings are owned by their respective owners (Masashi Kishimoto, Shounen JUMP, Hiromu Arakawa, and Shounen Gangan)
> 
> ( * ) – Meaning for the word or phrase will be after the chapter.

_Resembool, Amestris. Year, 1907._

Lunchtime was the best part of the day for most children, especially at the local elementary school. It was finally spring so that meant the school will finally allow them to eat outside with their class. With picnic tables set up and teachers prepping for the chaos that may happen, the children excitedly ran out of the doors and scrambled about, picking where they want to sit.

In Resembool, there was a special lunch tradition* where the school children prepare and serve lunch for each other. On one large table, there were food trays, pots filled with the meal of the day, a basket full of bread, and boxes that contained glass bottles of milk. Each week, the teachers assign at least five students to serve the lunch on a tray for their class. It was a way for them to hone their teamwork and attentiveness to their tasks.

Once the students were served, they happily sit down on the tables and eat.

Alphonse Elric's eyes sparkled with glee whilst examining today's lunch special. It was ham, lettuce, bacon, and mayonnaise sandwich with hot, steaming corn on the side lathered in butter. Alongside the two main dishes, there was a small salad bowl and bread sticks. Finally, their drink was the usual - a glass bottle of milk.

"I think this is the best lunch set yet!" Al exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. He was always happy for any type of lunch he received but today, it looked exceptionally delicious.

Beside him, his friend Winry agreed. "I know! I am so hungry - my tummy was making more noises in reading class than me."

"That's cause your tummy is annoying like you." Alphonse's older brother, Edward, teased. As always, this earned a smack on the head from the blonde girl.

Alphonse let out a breath and shook his head. His brother just didn't know how to think before he wanted to say something. They were only a year apart but Alphonse was allowed to be in the same class as him. The Elric brothers could be mistaken for twins, sharing the same blonde hair and golden eyes - but the two were so different from each other and everyone in the class knew it.

Often, people would describe as Alphonse being the mature one of the two for he was soft spoken, gentle, and polite. Edward, on the other hand, was abrasive and did not care for what other people thought of him. Whatever comes in his head, Edward will bravely say it, regardless of the other person's feelings. Also, if one were to squint, their appearances were not entirely the same. Alphonse carried a darker shade of blonde and his eyes had a slight brown color to them than the regular gold. Edward, however, was golden all over - from his sun-kissed hair to his golden hues.

Despite that, Alphonse can pick up on Edward's social cues. If Edward teased or joked about someone - even if it sounded rather harsh - he knew, deep down, his brother cared. He just didn't know how to express it well. Their neighbor and friend, Winry, was the same way and was aware of Edward's actions but she couldn't tolerate it like Alphonse because of her sensitive nature. This explains why she frequently hits him, with or without a wrench.

"Ouch! I was _just_ saying!"

"Big brother, you have to learn how to be nicer." Alphonse advised as he opened the spoon and fork container.

"I am!" Edward claimed, defensively. He frowned as he heard Winry's 'hmph!' and decided to focus on his food. "But yeah, this looks so good! And I can't believe we can finally eat outside. No more eating in our stuffy classroom!"

He stretched and stuck out his tongue, eager to take the large sandwich in.

"Time to dig in!" Without any type of shame, Edward chomped on the sandwich, some of the bacon juice trickling out the corner of his lips. Winry rolled her eyes and Alphonse chuckled.

"Such a pig." Winry muttered under her breath and focused on her corn first.

As the Resembool trio enjoyed their lunch, someone else joined them at their table. Winry's blue eyes looked up and smiled at who it was.

"Sakura!" She shouted, motioning her hands to sit across from her. Alphonse waved with a smile on his face. Edward was amidst chewing down his sandwich.

The pink-haired girl expressed slight disgust, which Winry nodded her head to show the share in sentiment.

"He's having a good time with that sandwich isn't he?" Sakura pointed out.

"Ignore him." Winry groaned but then smiled. "Do you want to play later at the swings?"

"Yeah! I hope we get the good seats." Sakura beamed and the two girls giggled.

Alphonse enjoyed Sakura's company and he was happy that Winry was too. Sakura was a new girl that arrived in Resembool about a year and a half ago. Despite her staying here for that long, the newness never worn off. The town was a tight knit community and often, when travelers arrive from far off lands, people were suspicious. It didn't help that Sakura carried a vivid hair and eye color combination.

Nonetheless, she was like any other child - carefree, energetic, and loved the outdoors more than anything. Alphonse liked playing with her and Sakura being a part of their group of friends was a fresh change of pace. Winry also gained a female friend for she was regularly surrounded by boys.

"What if Al and I wanna take the good swing seats?" Edward spoke up, mayonaise smudged on his lips.

"First, you have something on your lip. Ew. Second, ladies first! Winry and I called it." Sakura argued and handed him a napkin.

Begrudgingly, Edward took it and groaned about how the girls were being unfair.

Lunch time was going by quickly and there was only a short time where everyone could eat. Many of the students gobbled down their food because they need to clean up before the next class cycle. Their teacher also told them that, no matter what, they have to finish their meal. Anything left over and thrown out was something that was frowned upon.

"Ed! You can't just throw away that full glass of milk. That's wasteful!" Winry scolded with her hands on her hips.

"I hate milk, you know that."

"Big brother, it's healthy and harmless. It won't hurt you." Alphonse chimed in.

"Al, it's disgusting. It's off white liquid that came out from the nipples of a cow and god knows what else is in there." Edward snapped and pushed the milk away.

"And that's why you'll be short forever!" Winry teased, earning a glare from him.

Edward fumed, steam coming out of his ears. "Who you calling a bean?!"

"You, you bean!"

"You take that back!"

While Edward and Winry jabbed at each other, Sakura held her stomach. She ate so much that she couldn't finish her milk. Halfway through, she placed the glass down and moaned.

"I can't finish my milk anymore… I'm too stuffed."

"Do you want me to drink the rest for you?" Alphonse offered thoughtfully.

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's no problem. I love milk." Alphonse kindly took Sakura's milk glass and placed it on his lips, drinking it.

Edward's focus snapped away from his squabble with Winry and saw how Alphonse was interacting with Sakura.

"Thank you, Al! You really are the best!" She giggled and clapped her hands.

Alphonse scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "It's no problem. Anything to help."

The way she reacted to Alphonse with the redness in her cheeks whilst she smiled caused a nervous pang in Edward's little chest. A weird thought had crossed his mind about Alphonse for the first time.

For just a split moment, Edward almost considered him as a rival.

* * *

Alphonse became the special milk man in the course of a few weeks after.

Whenever Sakura could not finish her milk, she immediately asks if Alphonse was okay to have it. Alphonse happily obliged and never rejected her. In return, Sakura would give him a special snack she would bring to school. Alphonse's kindness caught Winry's attention as well and she, too, would compliment him in his milk-drinking ability.

"With the way Al is drinking the milk, he'll be the one  _taller_  than you!" Winry would say, which irked Edward.

But it wasn't the only thing that bothered him.

The growing closeness between Alphonse and Sakura were becoming more noticeable to him.

After school, he finally stepped his foot down and confronted his younger brother.

"What's the deal?"

Alphonse looked up from his alchemy book. "With what?"

"You know what!"

"Big brother, I won't understand unless you tell me."

Edward's frown deepened but for Alphonse, it only amused him. He was able to tell when his brother was actually mad. This time, he wasn't.

"You like Sakura don't you?!"

Immediately, Alphonse knew what this was about. A light bulb suddenly turned itself on inside his head. Even though he was seven-years-old, Alphonse was a lot more smarter than what people perceived him to be.

"Yeah. I do."

Edward was taken aback. "W-What!"

"I mean, she's nice to be around with and I like playing with her too. Plus, she's pretty with the red ribbon in her hair."

His older brother's face twisted hilariously that Alphonse tried his best to keep a straight face on.

"You only like her as a  _friend?_ "

"No, I like,  _like_ her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I like -  _like_  - her."

"So, you really like her… as a friend?"

"..."

"Well?"

Alphonse turned away from him and focused back on his book. "Nope."

"Gah!" Frustrated, Edward smudged his face together with his hands and let out a muffled scream.

Alphonse liked teasing his brother; his level-head was something of a weapon against his ever-so prideful brother. Edward always liked to be on the top but Alphonse knew how to take him down effectively if he wanted to.

"Al!" Edward stomped his foot. "Which is it?"

"I told you. I like her."

"That can't be, Al. It's just… not okay!"

Alphonse raised an eyebrow, "What makes it  _not_  okay?"

"Er…" Edward scratched the back of his head, reddened in the face. He was stumped for words but he knew he didn't like it! He did not like it at all and it bothered him even more that Alphonse was somewhat making fun of him.

"If you don't have anything more to say, then, at least help me figure out this equation."

Reluctantly, Edward owned up to his defeat. "Fine…"

For Alphonse, he knew the real reason why. He was also the first to realize the underlying feelings his brother had for Sakura. However, he wasn't going to make that known. Not yet.

But he could give him a gentle push.

* * *

The following day, Alphonse decided to enact his plan. Once he heard the bell ring for lunch, he knew what to do.

As they scuttled out into the open-air lunch area and grabbed their trays, Alphonse and his brother joined Sakura and Winry at their designated table. The girls were already chatting about what they had done in class and were making plans on going to the slide during recess.

"Hey Winry. Hey Sakura." Alphonse greeted in a cheery voice.

"Yo." Edward said quietly, turning his face away from them. Winry only gave him a face whereas Sakura, surprisingly, looked concern.

The two of them sat down and began to eat. After conversing about the usual things of school, homework, teachers, and what they will do after, lunchtime quickly went by and it was time to clean up. At this time, Alphonse prepared for the special question.

"Al," Sakura called to him. "Can you drink my milk again today? I can't finish it."

"Oh…" Alphonse placed on his best pout. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Not today because I'm already full."

Edward's ears perked up, hearing his brother turn down Sakura. Looking up from his food, he watched as Sakura's face dropped. With her green eyes downcast, Edward couldn't help but feel something internally, urging him to do something. Sadly, he didn't follow through and let the situation unwind itself in front of him.

"What about you, Winry? Can you drink mine? It's only a little left." Sakura asked.

"Sorry. I'm also stuffed. Plus, drinking more than one glass of milk makes my stomach woozy." Winry apologized.

Alphonse grinned. "Why not ask Ed?"

" _Huh?"_

Edward and Sakura yelped in surprise. They said that in unison and it surprised them. This caused Edward to blush but then, he waved his hands.

"Are you crazy Al?! You know I hate milk!"

"I know that, big brother, but she's only got a little left." Alphonse pointed. "You can just pinch your nose and drink it in one swoop."

"No way! I will never, ever drink it."

Winry clenched her fist, feeling protective of Sakura. "Come on, Ed! Stop being a bother and help! It's healthy! You don't want to be less than 3 feet forever!"

"Shut up!" Edward crossed his arms and pointed his nose up in the air. "I am not gonna drink that liquid and that's final!"

Sakura's lips quivered and took her tray. She stood from her table, taking the milk glass with her. When Edward took a look at her, he automatically knew she was about to cry. If there was one thing he knew about Sakura, she hated to throw something away that wasn't finished. It wasn't in her nature to.

"Way to go, Ed." Winry stood up alongside Sakura, "Come on Sakura. Let's go to the slides okay and away from the boys!"

Alphonse couldn't believe his plan failed. At the very least, he thought his brother was going to swallow his pride and help out a bit. It was no use that his brother knew what he didn't like. Edward always stuck to his word. He was about to to reprimand him for upsetting Sakura's feelings until he saw a blonde blur quickly reach towards Sakura.

It was almost like slow motion.

Edward's small hand then grasped on Sakura's half finished milk bottle. Sakura didn't have enough time to react nor could Alphonse. Opening the cap, Edward heaved in a brave breath and used his one free hand to close his nostrils. Pressing the tips of the glass upon his lips -

He drank the milk.

Sakura gasped. Winry covered her eyes. Alphonse felt panic because he felt like the world was going to implode and come onto itself. Never, in his short six-year-old life, was he ever going to witness this unexpected act. This was a once in a lifetime event and it was a big deal for any young 3rd grader who knew of Edward Elric. Soon, their classmates stumbled on this occurrence and stopped to watch with baited breath.

Edward gulped down the milk and swallowed every last drop of it. When the glass was finally lighter, he slammed it on the table with a victorious smile on his face. His placed his hands upon his fist, expressing his momentous achievement against the putrid liquid. Alphonse couldn't help but applaud his brother's success.

"There!" Edward smirked proudly, looking at Sakura in the eye, "It's gone and empty all the way to the bottom!"

Inspecting the glass bottle, Sakura's eyes broadened. He was right. There was not a drop left.

Edward crossed his arms and scratched his nose. "Heh. What do you think? Edward Elric ain't afraid of this white cow pee."

The pink-haired girl was quiet for a moment. When Alphonse turned to her, he saw something in her eyes that would never compare to how she would look at him. Was it adoration? No, it was definitely more than that.

"Edward…" She began softly.

"Yeah. What is it, Sakura? Are you going to give me your praise? Admiration?"

Sakura walked over to him and slowly pointed her index finger at his face.

"Please wipe that milk mustache off your lip. It's really… gross."

Nearly doubling over, Edward used his sleeve to remove the remnants of milk off of him. "Blech! Disgusting, stupid…"

He muttered, trying to wipe it off as Sakura simply laughed. Soon enough, Edward joined her by putting on his wide grin. Winry sighed in relief while Alphonse simply felt proud.

His plan had worked.

* * *

**Extra:**

"Brother, come on, this is ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? This all  _your_  fault, Al!"

"How is it  _my_  fault?"

"You pinned it on me to help her and now-,"

The sounds of vomit emanated from the bathroom stall as Alphonse leaned upon the door.

"Brother, how are you doing?"

The only response that came from him was gurgle and then, a spit.

"Ed…"

"I hate you, Al! Why didn't you stop me?!"

"You were too fast to catch."

"But  _you_  were right there! Yuck, disgusting…"

"It's not disgusting brother and you're overreacting."

Edward groaned, "Once I'm done spitting and brushing my teeth from all of this - I'm going to  _alchemify_  you into a fish!"

Alphonse rolled his eyes. When will his brother ever realize how much he actually cared about people, let alone, Sakura?

At least, he was finally able to get his brother to drink the milk.

**Author's Note:**

> Terminology and Phrases:
> 
> 1) _In Resembool, there was a special lunch tradition* where the school children prepare and serve lunch for each other…_
> 
> This isn't necessarily a term or phrase but I wanted to explain for those who don't know. I work in a Japanese school and it's customary for children to serve their own food to their class, not with a cafeteria lady. Because of this, their lunch eating time is cut short and they have to rush. There is also a mentality instilled in them that they cannot be wasteful so they must try to finish everything - even if they don't like the food. Children will sometimes ask their classmates to finish the food for them or help them eat it. This is called _kyushoku_ in Japan.
> 
> For the sake of the story, I thought it was nice to add that little cultural aspect.
> 
> Hello again. This crossover one-shot/drabble series was crossposted from my FFnet account. Please enjoy or leave a kudos/comments. It will be appreciated!


End file.
